In Amsterdam almost 1/5 of all cannabis selling shops will be closed down because they are too close to schools. Due to new rules regulating Marijuana selling coffee shops, all within 250 meters of a school must be closed by 2011. What, selling pot within 250 meters of a school, say it isn’t so. What’s next in the Netherlands, banning brothels too close to schools as well?

ALMERE, Netherlands (Reuters) – Almost a fifth of Amsterdam’s popular marijuana-selling coffee shops will be closed down because they are too close to schools, the city council said Friday.

Of the 228 coffee shops in the Dutch capital, 43 must close by the end of 2011 because they are within 250 meters of a school, the council said.

The Dutch coffee shop policy has come under fresh criticism after the Dutch cities of Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, located near the Belgian border, said they will close all their shops within two years to combat drug tourism and crime.

Amsterdam, home to a quarter of the nation’s cannabis coffee shops that are a big draw for tourists, joined with 32 other Dutch mayors or city council representatives Friday to back a continuation of the Dutch “soft drugs” policy of toleration.

Comments

Thats OK.I was just there last week and it seemed there were too many anyways.So that 228-43=185.So 185 coffeshops in a city of less than a million.Thats cool, I can deal with that.I wish other cities were as cool as cities Nederlands with pot shops.It was really cool to be able to walk out of the hotel with my wife, pop into Hunters coffeeshop and order 1.6 grams of White Widdow plus some Moroccan Hash and mix it up and get totally blazed while drinking an espresso.I had not smoked in almost 10 years and pot has gotten WAAY stronger from the “olden days”…I hear the city is buying up some of the space in the redlight district so they will be getting rid of alot of the infamous windows as well….

What are we to expect from the Dutch? Unlike every other civilized nation that prohibits the recreational use of drugs, they encourage it, even among children.

.

Victor:

I hope you enjoyed your high, but did you ever stop to think about how many people have died as a result of the cultivation, packing and delivery of the substance that you find so alluring?

I can tell from your post that you are not a child and, by that, I mean that you have the right to do whatever your conscience will allow. But, in the case of children, marijuana is the ‘gateway’ drug. The one that allures children into the world of drug abuse and addiction. Getting high over a cup of coffee may be fun for you, but sounds pretty boring to a generation that is much like the one that we grew up in where it was all about living on the edge. The state of euphoria is just as inviting, today, as it was in our day. The problem is, today, there are designer drugs that are far more deadly and addictive than any drugs that we may have experimented with. Ecstacy, PCP, Wet, Crystal Meth, Crack and Heroin cooked to perfection by underground labs are on the rise.

I find it hard to understand that the Netherlands would allow a period of three years for these, so called ‘businesses’ to close their doors or relocate. I suppose it is just one more indication of their tolerance when it comes to marketing drugs to their most vulnerable customers… our children.

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k- on
November 23rd, 2008 10:53 pm

having visited Amsterdam twice within 15 years you can walk by these cafe’s in the city and the pot smoke is literally wafting out it’s cafe’s front doors… to my knowledge, drugs are not legalized in Holland, they are “tolerated”… (anyone know it’s laws?)… prostitution is legalized and having read the above comment how the Mayor wants to rid the city of some of it.. should be interesting on how he feels of the drug use, etc… we’ve friends there and the country has changed much the passing years… it’s very, very liberal there….and much is tolerated.

Dolf on
November 24th, 2008 2:29 am

true, its not legal. hopefully it will be.

just look at the numbers, in Holland less adicts and less criminal activity

our system just works

(and no, its not bad to loose some shops)
____________

SM: I am guessing that the closing of many coffee shops will mean a boom for those still standing. Kinda like getting rid of the competition, the laws of supply and demand working well for the coffee-weed selling industry in Holland.
R

EURobert on
November 24th, 2008 7:49 am

“… Amsterdam, home to a quarter of the nation’s cannabis coffee shops that are a big draw for tourists, joined with 32 other Dutch mayors or city council representatives Friday to back a continuation of the Dutch “soft drugs” policy of toleration. …”

The mayors agreed that the dutch policy on selling softdrugs is so succesfull (f.e.: separation between the softdrug-world and the harddrug-world, far less drug-deaths, a.s.o.) that they now plan to set up their own hemp-nurseries to cut the grass (…) from under organized crime’s feet…

Btw: through the years several European countries slowly have followed The Netherlands on the path of more ‘tolerance’ towards soft drugs. Only recently f.e. Germany decided not to prosecute users of softdrugs anymore.

Susan on
November 24th, 2008 8:47 am

Amsterdamn, where anything goes…one place I stayed clear of while living and working in Europe.

Susan on
November 24th, 2008 8:57 am

The “ANYTHING GOES ATTITUDE” of Holland (the Dutch, the Netherlands) helps explain why there has been NO RESOLUTION in the Natalee Holloway case

Apparently, kidnapping and murder is also condone by those Dutch freaks of nature!!

Of course we all know that the van der Slut’s are from Holland or should I say “HO”lland?

BOYCOTT ARUBA AND THE NETHERLANDS TIL HELL FREEZES OVER!!

JUSTICE FOR NATALEE

txchic on
November 24th, 2008 10:24 am

from what i’ve heard the “coffee shops” service more tourists than locals. for that reason alone, i wouldn’t want a bunch of tourists around children being that many of them are probably not that stable. i wouldn’t feel safe in an area that attracts tourists with soft drugs & prostitutes & definitely wouldn’t want them around my children.

caesu on
November 24th, 2008 10:33 am

maybe they should order the coffee shops to ask for proof of dutch citizenship before they sell.

and not allow foreigners to buy the weed.
or have them go to their embassy to get an approval note.

the only problems are caused by the drugs tourists in amsterdam and the border cities.

and it is a myth that amsterdam needs these drugs tourist for their economy.

there are enough tourists coming to the museums, anne frank house, windmills, flowers, canals and more. they spend much more money of course.
including many fat americans.
they only bring worthless dollars, but i welcome them too.

gturner on
November 24th, 2008 10:44 am

txchic, Then you better stay away from Las Vegas.

Dutch citizen on
November 24th, 2008 1:07 pm

SM, this is one of those stories where you really show your complete ignorance! Perhaps you should visit us sometimes so you get a better idea of what the Netherlands are all about.

The same goes for some of the people posting here. Read and learn before you write down such rubish about a place you have never even been close to!

It’s all the activity related to the
state of ‘human’ slavery which is used
to transport people (usually young women,
girls and boys) from one nation to another
for the sake of prostitution, XXX Rated
Movies, Pedophilia, Brothels, Mail Order
Brides, Human Sacrifices, Sex Slaves…

Baby Napping… that’s what I’m talking about.

.

Paul Breiveld on
November 25th, 2008 3:32 am

#13

There is a difference indeed. In Amsterdam you have to walk into a certain area to go see the prostitutes. You do not need to go there, as it is a secluded area. Easilly avoidable for a family with kids. And therefore: you do not see kids there.

In Las Vegas on the other hand: adverts from almost naked women on high billboard. And when you walk with your kids on the Las Vegas strip, you get brochures with adverts from strippers and prostitutes.

So I agree: a difference. In Amsterdam I can protect kids from not seeing the evil of grownups. In Las Vegas I can not!

Beer Kills, Pot Chills on
November 25th, 2008 12:44 pm

Beer is actually the ultimate gateway drug. Most children try beer before anything else. The beer lobby is so strong in America, that it is the only food product sold in supermarkets with no ingredients or nutrition labels. Even water has a nutrition label. You’d be quite shocked at the adjuncts and preservatives found in Domestic beer. Admittedly, children have no business smoking marijuana, but our drug policy is irrational and that irrationality is borne out in some of the comments above. If you research the marijuana policy historically in this country, and rationally look at its benign character compared to alcohol and even tobacco, you will find the malevolent cotton and oil industries in collusion with power-hungry politicians who successfully demonized a plant with so many practical uses. As I said, children and their developing brains and psyches have no business ingesting pot (nor tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, et al), nor do I have a dog in this fight as I am not a drug user, but should our irrational policy prevent cancer patients or glaucoma-addled senior citizens from finding relief of their symptoms? Should our irrational policy imprison casual users of a substance that is less harmful than alcohol in prisons, at our expense, next to violent criminals for longer terms? Yes, I know it is currently illegal and the felons were cognizant they were breaking the law, but that is the entire point: The laws are irrational and silly in the alleged Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. No one has ever gotten high and gotten into a bar fight. It’s way too much effort and delays the inevitable cheeseburger.

Your trite, straw man response leads me to believe I was either remiss in articulating my message or you glossed over reading a comment with which you fundamentally disagree. A direct answer to your question is nearly impossible, with many mitigating factors to consider. Are you discussing just the legal definition or are you considering the levels of intoxication involved and the impairment received from each substance? Legally, in most states, there is no difference. Physiologically, there is a major difference. There are already laws on the books about driving while ability impaired, and nowhere in my comment did I advocate the practice. If you think irrational marijuana laws prevent driving under the influence, you are sadly mistaken. Should we further restrict and penalize the use of many more substances, especially over the counter medications, that impair driving ability? Marijuana should not be consumed by children or by those who operate machinery. Should I list every situation where marijuana use is a terrible idea? It is probably safe for video gamers and Dorito munchers. Marijuana is more benign and safer than alcohol and most prescription medications. Just ask Rush Limbaugh and the makers of Oxycontin. I wonder how often he drove under the influence of that. Marijuana use by consenting adults can be strictly regulated and taxed, just like alcohol. While you are advocating thought, please research how many deaths can be directly attributed to alcohol and prescription drugs and then show me the statistics for deaths directly attributable to pot. As I said, I do not use drugs, nor do I drink, but placing casual pot smoker in prison next to violent sociopaths and for longer terms is ridiculous.

So, Fox Fire, you did not read my second post, either. Good luck with your perception skills. Are you high? As I said, I don’t use illegal drugs. Try to pay attention. Let me guess, Bush voter?

Amsterdam020 on
November 28th, 2008 9:14 am

#6/7

Susan! Get off your moral high horse!
Your loss that you didn’t visit Amsterdam while you were in Europe. The beautiful canals, the Anne Frank house, the museums…

Anyway, it is not true that in Amsterdam anything goes. We just don’t bury our head in the sand for things that shall always be in every society such as prostitution, drugs, alcohol and s e x. The Dutch deal with it which lowers the crime rates and keeps it out the criminal underworld.

And for the 100st time: the Dutch government wasn’t allowed to intervene in the investigation at ARUBA (different country with own government but part of the Dutch kingdom) without getting invited.

But boycott all you want. Amsterdam will not miss you.

Dolf on
December 12th, 2008 9:22 am

I don’t want ppl like Susan filling up my streets anyway

enough bigassed yanks here alread y ;p

btw: Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world……good luck trying to ban it (and how can the politicians who call the loudest for a ban are the ones that get caught?)

Randy on
February 13th, 2009 5:21 pm

Susan is an idiot and so is Natalee Holloway…sure go ahead–get drunk and high and run around with 3 strangers in a crime-ridden tourism hole like Aruba like you’re invincible…

j davis on
May 11th, 2009 7:26 pm

FoxFire are you an american? You sure sound like one with all that self righteous crap like the thoroughly debunked ‘gateway theory.’ Abd stuff that ‘it’s for the children crap!’ You sound just like a typical american dea agent postulating their false ‘facts’ amd statistics. Either you have never been to Amsterdam or are so wrapped up in your self righteous world you cannot recognize a civilized society when you see one! I’m sure in your ideal world everyone caught smoking a harmless plant would serve long jail sentences just like the barbaric usa! Such ignorance!!